Does Protein Powder Cause Hair Loss?

📌 Overview and Key Takeaways

Does protein powder cause hair loss? Discover how certain protein supplements can affect hair loss and thinning.

Last Updated
Jan 17, 2026

Author and Medical Reviewer

Written by Jack, CNC

Jack is a National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Nutrition Coach.

Protein Powder and Hair Loss

Can Protein Powder Cause Hair Loss?

You may have heard that protein powder causes hair loss, which is simply not true.

Protein powder hair loss is a myth, that is, there is absolutely no scientific evidence that consuming protein powder causes your hair to fall out.

On the contrary, there is abundant evidence that dietary protein is essential for hair growth and health.

If you think that protein powder causes hair loss, you probably read a 2017 study which claims whey protein isolate can accelerate hair thinning and male pattern baldness.

This study was widely circulated on the Internet and referenced by many popular publications.

As a result, many people came to believe that protein powder causes hair loss, which is unfortunate because the study in question is utterly biased.

In fact, this study can be discredited without even scrutinizing the methods because the author had a blatant conflict of interest.

Dr. Lawrence J. Shapiro, the author, is a hair transplant surgeon who sells a whey protein concentrate formulation called Dr. Shapiro’s Help Hair™ Shake.

He claims that whey protein concentrate, the main ingredient in his protein supplement, is good for your hair whereas whey protein isolate, the main ingredient in many other protein supplements, is not.

Although this could be true, Dr. Shapiro has personal and financial interests that could have (and probably did) bias his work.

I personally have no doubt that he published his “research” to sell more of his own product.

Dr. Shapiro’s study is also the only one of its kind, which matters because one cannot claim conclusive findings solely on the basis of a single study.

A study must be replicated – repeated many times over with the same results – before its findings can be considered conclusive.

A study that has not been or cannot be replicated may have been faked.

The lesson to be learned here is that we, the customer, have to be skeptical of what we find on the Internet.

Many published research findings are biased and even fallacious, but are referenced by popular publications in ways that give them far more credibility than they deserve.

This is almost certainly what happened to Dr. Shapiro’s study.

Can Protein Powder Help with Hair Growth?

Men and women experiencing hair loss or thinning often wonder whether protein supplements can help restore hair growth or prevent further loss.

The truth is that although hair itself is made of a protein called keratin and hair follicles are among the most metabolically active cells in the body, the link between protein intake and hair growth is complex.

Most of what is known about protein intake and hair loss is based on studies about people with a nutrient deficiency (Dermatol Pract Concept, 2017).

The research shows that having a protein deficiency can impact your structure and growth; it also shows that protein supplementation can promote hair growth in individuals who are protein deficient.

Little is known about the effects of protein supplementation in individuals without a nutrient deficiency, however.

One study did find that protein supplementation promotes hair growth in women suffering from thinning hair (Dermatol Res Pract, 2015), but it is still hard to say to what extent, if any, protein affects hair growth in the average person.

Increasing your protein intake, if you do not need that extra protein, thus may or may not help with hair growth.

If you are protein deficient, or if you struggle to regularly meet your daily protein needs, however, then adding protein powder to your diet is a great idea.

That said, not all protein powders are created equal.

What Is the Best Protein Powder for Hair Growth?

Any type of protein powder (egg white, pea, whey, etc.) can help you meet your daily protein needs.

In other words, as long as you are eating a balanced diet, there is no advantage to using one type of protein powder over another.

Ingredients do matter, however.

Most protein powders contain ingredients that can cause long-term health problems, some of which are indirectly linked to hair loss.

🚫 Avoid Food Additives

Regularly eating emulsifiers, thickeners, and other additives can alter the composition of your gut microbiome (the collection of microorganisms living in your gut) (North Clin Istanb, 2019).

This can lead to gut dysbiosis, or an imbalance in gut bacteria, which is not only a leading driver of inflammation, but also linked to nutrient malabsorption (Microorganisms, 2022; Int J Mol Sci, 2012).

Although there is conflicting evidence on the subject, it is possible that nutrient deficiencies cause or at least contribute to hair loss (Mol Nutr Food Res, 2024).

So, regularly eating a protein powder that can impair your ability to absorb nutrients is not only counter productive, but also potentially bad for hair growth.

⚠️ Here is a list of the most common food additives in protein supplements:

• acacia fiber
• acacia gum
• acesulfame potassium
• artificial flavors
• ascorbic acid
• aspartame
• calcium carbonate
• carrageenan
• cellulose gum
• dextrin
• dicalcium phosphate
• dipotassium phosphate
• erythritol
• gellan gum
• guar gum
• gum arabic
• inulin
• locust bean gum
• maltitol
• maltodextrin
• mono- and diglycerides
• ‘natural’ flavors
• rice bran extract
• rice dextrin
• rice hulls
• rosemary extract
• silica
• silicon dioxide
• sodium alginate
• soluble corn fiber
• sorbitol
• soy lecithin
• sucralose
• sunflower lecithin
• tocopherols
• tricalcium phosphate
• xanthan gum
• xylitol
• zinc oxide

As a rule of thumb, if you cannot find it in nature or make it at home, it is probably a food additive.

🚫 Avoid Protein Concentrates and Isolates

You might also want to avoid ultra-processed protein concentrates and isolates.

Most protein supplements are made from one or both of these ultra-processed protein sources, which have been mechanically and/or chemically stripped of everything but the protein.

This includes the enzymes, fiber, and other natural digestive aids that help your gut break them down.

You therefore do not digest them in the same way that you do whole foods, which could affect your gut health.

Studies show that regularly eating protein concentrates and isolates might disrupt your gut microbiome and cause the formation of toxic byproducts in your gut (Nutrients, 2018; Mol Nutr Food Res, 2024).

You should thus look for protein supplements made from whole food protein sources like egg whites and almonds, which are easier to digest and absorb.

Order Samples to see for yourself.

Sources

1. Dermatology Practical & Conceptual (Dermatol Pract Concept). Diet and hair loss: effects of nutrient deficiency and supplement use. 2017.
2. Dermatology Research and Practice (Dermatol Res Pract). A 3-month, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluating the ability of an extra-strength marine protein supplement to promote hair growth and decrease shedding in women with self-perceived thinning hair. 2015.
3. Northern Clinics of Istanbul (North Clin Istanb). Food additives and microbiota. 2019.
4. Microorganisms (Microorganisms). Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis: Triggers, Consequences, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Options. 2022.
5. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (Int J Mol Sci). Brain-gut-microbiota axis in Parkinson’s disease. 2012.
6. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research (Mol Nutr Food Res). Micronutrients and Androgenetic Alopecia: A Systematic Review. 2024
7. Nutrients (Nutrients). Effect of a Protein Supplement on the Gut Microbiota of Endurance Athletes: A Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind Pilot Study. 2018.
8. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research (Mol Nutr Food Res). In Vitro Fermentation of Animal and Plant Protein Isolates by the Human Gut Microbiota Under High and Low Carbohydrate Conditions. 2024.

Editorial Guidelines

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This article was written by a Registered Dietitian and reviewed by a Physician Assistant. We rely on peer-reviewed research and trusted medical sources, and regularly update our content to ensure accuracy and clarity.